Manchester United and Manchester City will head to Wembley on Saturday afternoon as they vie for the Community Shield.
In a traditional pre-season curtain raiser, this glamour friendly which is how it is often perceived, the Community Shield clash will be a repeat of the FA Cup Final where United stunned their bitter rivals, giving Erik ten Hag some silverware to enjoy and round off an otherwise dismal campaign.
The Community Shield sees the FA Cup holders take on the Premier League winners, and it will be fascinating to get a first glimpse of City and United before the serious stuff gets underway the following weekend.
During pre-season, City and United’s fortunes were mixed. But then again, it is a way to get some match sharpness and build up fitness levels, so perhaps too much shouldn’t be read into it.
Some players will be rested due to international commitments over the summer, including the Euros and Copa America.
However, from a United perspective, an injury to new signing Leny Yoro is a serious setback as he could be out for up to three months, while Rasmus Hojlund could be unavailable for up to six weeks.
Anyway, I have run the rule over this pre-season dust-up between City and United and shared a couple of value Community Shield betting tips for you to pore over in the run-up to kick-off.
We’ve looked at some of the best football betting offers, odds and markets from our range of football betting sites to provide you with Manchester City v Manchester United betting tips.
Manchester City v Manchester United Betting Tips
Manchester City v Manchester United Odds
- Manchester City to win odds - 1/2
- Draw odds - 16/5
- Manchester United to win odds - 4/1
Odds courtesy of Betfred, correct at the time of publication
Manchester City v Manchester United Match Preview
Man City to prevail in thrilling penalty shoot-out
As mentioned, City’s fortunes during pre-season fluctuated, and while they were mediocre against Celtic, they romped to a handsome 4-2 win over Chelsea last weekend, exposing the Blues’ defensive inadequacies.
Erling Haaland, who contributed with a brace in that emphatic victory, looked sharp, but in past Community Shields, he has gone missing.
Despite clocking up two wins in the past six editions of the Community Shield, City will be looking to avoid the embarrassment of four straight defeats in this fixture, and last season they came up short against Arsenal.
United have got their hands on the Community Shield on 21 occasions, more than any other side. But they will need to produce an immaculate performance like they did against City in the FA Cup Final where they won 2-1 in a pulsating encounter.
On that day, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo inspired United to victory, but I think City will exact retribution.
However, the win for City could come via a penalty shoot-out as there is no extra time. If you like the sound of that line for the Method of Victory, then bet365 has chalked up intriguing odds of 15/2.
Jack Grealish to draw first blood for City
Having been overlooked for England at the Euros, Jack Grealish may feel like he has a point to prove.
Well, he will have a burning desire at least to continue City’s dynasty and help them land a record-extending fifth Premier League title in a row.
When on form, Grealish can turn defenders inside out, and he will want to improve on his scoring record, as he only netted three times in all competitions last term.
Anyway, to wrap up my Community Shield betting tips, I think there will be goals during regulation time. Grealish could come alive and the 12/1 price available at bet365 for him to open the scoring could be worth jumping on.
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